1,721,091 research outputs found
Plant and lichen biodiversity data aggregation in Italy
No full textI dati di biodiversità sono fondamentali per comprendere le dinamiche degli ecosistemi e sviluppare strategie di conservazione efficaci. Negli ultimi anni, la mobilitazione di grandi moli di dati di biodiversità e la creazione di aggregatori nazionali e globali, ha migliorato notevolmente l'accessibilità e l'interoperabilità di questi dati.
In Italia, i dati di biodiversità di licheni e piante sono gestiti da due aggregatori nazionali: ITALIC, il sistema informativo sui licheni italiani e FlorItaly, il portale della flora d'Italia. Queste piattaforme aggregano dati nomenclaturali, ecologici e dati relativi a tratti morfo-funzionali. Tuttavia, presentano anche diverse limitazioni: non aggregano dati di occorrenza e la loro interoperabilità con risorse esterne è limitata.
Questo lavoro mira a risolvere queste limitazioni seguendo tre obiettivi principali: i) aggregare dati primari di biodiversità (occorrenze); ii) migliorare l'accessibilità e l'interoperabilità dei dati con applicazioni esterne; iii) sviluppare nuovi strumenti per sfruttare i dati aggregati.
Questo progetto ha portato a diversi risultati. Molteplici dataset di erbari italiani sono stati digitalizzati, pubblicati come data paper, e resi disponibili attraverso il Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) e gli aggregatori nazionali. I dati di licheni sono stati integrati in ITALIC, mentre i dati di piante vascolari in FlorItaly.
Per migliorare l'accessibilità e l'interoperabilità dei dati, sono state sviluppate API pubbliche, abbinate a un pacchetto R che facilita l’utilizzo dei dati in questo linguaggio di programmazione.
Infine, per sfruttare il potenziale dei dati di licheni aggregati in ITALIC, abbiamo sviluppato un nuovo strumento, il KeyMaker, che permette agli utenti di generare e condividere chiavi di identificazione scegliendo i taxa da includere.
In appendice, abbiamo incluso uno studio che evidenzia la potenziale estensibilità del codice di ITALIC per creare sub-portali focalizzati su aree geografiche specifiche (in questo caso di studio le Dolomiti).
In conclusione, questo lavoro ha migliorato significativamente la disponibilità e l'usabilità dei dati di biodiversità di piante e licheni in Italia attraverso il potenziamento degli aggregatori di dati nazionali. I nuovi strumenti sviluppati forniscono una solida base per la gestione di dati di biodiversità e per supportare ricerche future. La maggior parte del codice realizzato è pubblicamente disponibile per permettere la replicabilità degli strumenti sviluppati.Biodiversity data is fundamental for understanding ecosystem dynamics and developing effective conservation strategies.
In recent years, the massive mobilization of biodiversity data led to the creation of national and global aggregators, which greatly improved the accessibility and interoperability of these data.
In Italy, biodiversity data of lichens and plants are managed by two national aggregators: ITALIC, the information system on Italian lichens and FlorItaly, the portal to the flora of Italy. These platforms aggregate data about taxonomy, ecology, and morpho-functional traits. Yet, they face several limitations: occurrence records are not available, tools for efficient data retrieval are lacking, and interoperability with external resources is limited.
This work aims at addressing these limitations and has three main objectives: i) aggregating primary biodiversity data; ii) improving data accessibility and interoperability with external applications; iii) developing new tools to exploit the aggregated data.
This effort led to several key results. Multiple datasets from Italian herbaria were mobilized, published as data papers, and aggregated in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and in national aggregators. Lichen data were integrated into ITALIC, while plant data are being aggregated in FlorItaly.
To enhance data accessibility and interoperability, public APIs were developed, coupled with an R package that facilitates data retrieval and manipulation in this programming language.
Lastly, to exploit the potential of lichen data aggregated in ITALIC, we developed a novel tool, the KeyMaker, which lets users generate and share identification keys for subset of taxa based on their distribution, morpho-functional traits, and ecological requirements.
In the appendix, we included a study that highlights the potential and extensibility of ITALIC code to create sub-portals focused on specific geographic areas (the eastern Alps of Italy and the Dolomites, in this case study).
In conclusion, this work has significantly improved the availability and usability of plant and lichen biodiversity data in Italy through the enhancement of national data aggregators. The newly developed tools provide a solid baseline for future research, while the publicly available code ensures the replicability and potential expansion of this work beyond its original scope
Thirty-five years of floristic collections in southern Tuscany (Italy)
No full textFloristic knowledge and georeferenced information about vascular plant species distribution in southern Tuscany (Italy) are still poor for supporting effective biodiversity conservation efforts.A dataset of georeferenced floristic collections from Southern Tuscany, which was developed by the first author between 1989 and 2024, is provided and briefly commented on. The dataset includes data for 4535 herbarium specimens, mostly unpublished, currently preserved in the Herbarium Centrale Italicum at the Natural History Museum of Florence (FI). The specimens belong to 1766 species and subspecies in 122 families of vascular plants. Each record is associated with a Unique Identifier (UID) and information on the collection locality, date, collector(s), and geographical coordinates (WGS84 geodetic datum). Many specimens were collected in areas that were poorly investigated, documenting new sites for several uncommon or phytogeographically relevant taxa. The dataset includes two specimens of Euphorbia meuselii Geltman, a forest herb endemic to Southern Italy and new to the flora of Tuscany. Overall, this dataset allows a relevant advancement in the floristic knowledge of central Italy
Ultra Low Carbon Vehicles: New Parameters for Automotive Design
No full textAs the influence of vehicle emissions on our environment has become better understood, the UK government has recently placed urgent emphasis on the implementation of low carbon
technologies in the automotive industry through: the UK Low Carbon Industrial Strategy. The overall objective is to offer big incentives to consumers and support for the development of infrastructure and engineering solutions. This scheme however does not consider how the development of functional and experiential user value might drive consumer demand, contributing to the adoption of low carbon vehicles (LCVs) in the mass market.
With the emergence of the North East of England as the UK’s first specialised region for the development of ultra-low carbon vehicles (ULCVs), ONE North East, as a development agency for the region's economic and business development, and Northumbria University Ideas-lab have supported a project to facilitate innovation through the collaboration of technology, research and development (R&D) and business. The High Value Low Carbon (HVLC) project aims to envisage
new user value made possible by the integration of low carbon vehicle platforms with new process and network technologies. The HVLC consortium represents vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers as well as technology based companies and through an ongoing process of design concept generation the project offers a hub for innovation led enterprise.
Whilst new technological developments in areas such as power generation, nano materials, hydrogen fuel cells, printed electronics and networked communications will all impact on future automotive design, the mass adoption of low carbon technologies represents a paradigm shift for the motorist. This paper aims to describe how the mapping of new parameters will lead to new transport scenarios that will create the space for new collaborative research on user experiences supported by innovative technologies and related services
Georeferenced vascular plant collections in south Tuscany (Italy)
No full textThe dataset refers to 4535 selected floristic collections mainly done by the first author in southern Tuscany (Maremma, Italy) during the last 35 years (1989-2024, Herbarium F. Selvi). The collections are largely unpublished and currently kept in the Herbarium Centrale Italicum at the Natural History Museum of Florence University (FI, H.C.I.). The collections belong to 1766 specific and subspecific taxa with updated names according to the Portal to the Flora of Italy, in 122 families of vascular plants. Each record is associated with textual information on the collection locality, date, collector(s), number and geographical coordinates in the WGS84 system. Many collections were made in floristically poorly known parts of the region and mostly in the province of Grosseto, documenting new sites of several uncommon or phytogeographically relevant taxa. The information dataset allows to deepen the botanical knowedge of Tuscany and central Italy
Amyloidosis: What does pathology offer? The evolving field of tissue biopsy
Full text linkSince the mid-nineteenth century pathology has followed the convoluted story of amyloidosis, recognized its morphology in tissues and made identification possible using specific staining. Since then, pathology studies have made a significant contribution and advanced knowledge of the disease, so providing valuable information on the pathophysiology of amyloid aggregation and opening the way to clinical studies and non-invasive diagnostic techniques. As amyloidosis is a heterogeneous disease with various organ and tissue deposition patterns, histology evaluation, far from offering a simple yes/no indication of amyloid presence, can provide a wide spectrum of qualitative and quantitative information related to and changing with the etiology of the disease, the comorbidities and the clinical characteristics of patients. With the exception of cardiac transthyretin related amyloidosis cases, which today can be diagnosed using non-biopsy algorithms when stringent clinical criteria are met, tissue biopsy is still an essential tool for a definitive diagnosis in doubtful cases and also to define etiology by typing amyloid fibrils. This review describes the histologic approach to amyloidosis today and the current role of tissue screening biopsy or targeted organ biopsy protocols in the light of present diagnostic algorithms and various clinical situations, with particular focus on endomyocardial and renal biopsies. Special attention is given to techniques for typing amyloid fibril proteins, necessary for the new therapies available today for cardiac transthyretin related amyloidosis and to avoid patients receiving inappropriate chemotherapy in presence of plasma cell dyscrasia unrelated to amyloidosis. As the disease is still burdened with high mortality, the role of tissue biopsy in early diagnosis to assure prompt treatment is also mentioned
Development and Validation of a Sensitive Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Ceftolozane and Tazobactam in Human Plasma Microsamples
No full textBackground: Ceftolozane/tazobactam (C-T) is a novel beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor combination approved for the treatment of various infections caused by difficult-to-treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In critically ill patients, C-T may exhibit significant pharmacokinetic variability, both between individuals and within individuals, warranting therapeutic drug monitoring for clinical purposes. We aim to develop and validate a novel and sensitive analytical method for concurrently determining C and T in human plasma microsamples (3 μL). Methods: The method was developed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with positive electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) detection modes, employing specific mass transitions for both drugs. Sample preparation was simple, and the chromatographic run lasted only 4 minutes. Validation was conducted according to European Medicines Agency (EMA) guidelines, encompassing specificity, sensitivity, linearity, precision, accuracy, matrix effect, extraction recovery, limit of quantification, and drug stability. The validated method was applied to measure C and T in 32 plasma samples collected from critically ill patients with multidrug-resistant, gram-negative, bacterial infections. Results: The method ensured accurate (BIAS% 2.1-9.6 for C and -2.2 to 15.2 for T) and precise intraday CV% for C: 6.7-5.5; for T: 1.3-8.9; interday CV% for C 6.0-10.8; for T 4.1-10.2) measurements of C-T over a wide concentration range (0.2-200.0 mg/L for C and 0.1-100.0 mg/L for T). Overall, the recovery at quality control concentration levels was high for both C and T (mean values: 90-91 for C and 89-92 for T). Analyte stability was satisfactory in both human plasma and extracts under various storage conditions. The clinical applicability of the assay was confirmed by the reliably quantifying C and T in clinical plasma samples. Conclusions: The developed and validated LC-MS/MS method is sensitive and suitable for monitoring C and T in human plasma microsamples
The dataset of the Lichenotheca Veneta by Vittore Trevisan (1818–1897)
No full textThe Lichenotheca Veneta is a collection of lichen exiccata published in 1869 and preserved in its original form at the Museum of Natural History “Giancarlo Ligabue” of Venice. The collection, which contains 268 specimens belonging to 188 species, 123 genera, 45 families, 22 orders and 7 classes, was recently digitized and published online in the form of a web portal. The dataset, which contains a record for each specimen along with one or more digital images of each specimen, is available through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
NB-IoT over Non-Terrestrial Networks: Link Budget Analysis
No full textMachine Type Communications (MTC) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications are growing exponentially and are forecast to play an even more important role in Future Networks and Systems. The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) introduced the Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) air interface as a response to the IoT use case requirements. However, it is widely accepted that the terrestrial network alone is not able to serve the requirement of the IoT market of a truly ubiquitous coverage. To this aim, several initiatives are currently addressing the inclusion of a satellite component into the telecommunication infrastructure to extend its coverage to those areas that are unserved or underserved by the terrestrial network. The recently approved 3GPP study item on NB-IoT over Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) is the most important of these initiatives. The study item, starting at the beginning of 2021, will assess the performance of the NB- IoT air interface over satellite and will identify which adaptations are needed to enable its use. In this context, our work provides an assessment of the system level performance, in terms of the link budget parameters, of the NB-IoT air interface in typical satellite scenarios. In particular, we provide a detailed discussion of the system architecture supporting the NB-IoT over NTN, a description of the link budget computation methodology, and the numerical results of the link budget analysis in both single- satellite and multi-satellite scenarios
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